In November, as evidence of his substance abuse continued to surface, Ford finally admitted to smoking crack in "one of [his] drunken stupors." But he insisted that he's not an addict or an alcoholic and refused to step down from his position as mayor.

Even when Ford announced that he was leaving for rehab in May, he stopped short of saying he had an addiction. His statement just mentioned a "problem with alcohol" and "choices [he] has made while under the influence."

Ford returned to work Monday and held an invite-only press conference in which he finally admitted to being an addict and discussed his treatment.

He admitted to being in "complete denial" about his addiction and said he underwent hundreds of hours of intensive therapy. Ford said rehab saved his life and helped him realize his addiction is a disease.

"Substance abuse is a very, very difficult thing to overcome," Ford said. "But I will keep battling this disease for the rest of my life."

Ford said he is completely committed to "living clean" and he accepts full responsibility for his actions. He said he is "ashamed, embarrassed, and humiliated" about the things he did while he was using, and he apologized to everyone who was hurt by his words and actions.

Ford plans to run for re-election this fall, hoping to win another term as Toronto's mayor.